Charlie’s Capitol Catch-Up: Energy, Immigration, & All Things 109th District

State Representative Charlie Meier here, keeping you in the loop on all things Springfield and the 109th District.

As your energy bills skyrocket, House Dems solution is to raise them even MORE!
Democrats and environmental groups are pushing another expansion of green energy policies despite massive spikes in energy costs for ratepayers due to the failures of current policies. The proposal currently includes a surcharge on electric bills to pay for battery storage developments, loosening some nuclear power restrictions, and creating new energy efficiency requirements, among other changes.

"While Speaker Welch and Governor Pritzker blow smoke about how great Illinois' energy is, folks in Southern Illinois are seeing the impacts of their failed policies every month when they pay their electric bills," said Rep. Meier. "Illinois Democrats' energy policy is this - You pay more while they print press releases bragging about their clean, "green" policies. The only thing "green" about the Democrats' energy scam is that Illinoisans will be handing over a lot more money when their utility bills arrive."

Read More on Veto Session →

Let ICE Do Its Job

Illinois' sanctuary state policies have created an environment where law-abiding families are left vulnerable, and violent offenders slip through the cracks. Time and again, dangerous individuals who should never have been on our streets have been allowed to remain free, with devastating consequences. These tragedies are not isolated incidents; they are the direct result of failed leadership and reckless policies that put politics ahead of public safety. Leaders in Illinois should allow ICE to do their jobs.

Happy 85th Anniversary, Kaskaskia College!

State Representative Charlie Meier called 85 years a massive milestone.

"You have proven that community college isn't a stepping stone, but a launch pad," Meier said. "With nearly $133 million in local economic impact, I'd say you're worth every penny of tuition, especially for those dual credit high schoolers who take advantage of a great opportunity before them."

Check it Out →

Rep. Charlie Meier Holds DHS Accountable as Local Client is Jailed

State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) has been a strong supporter of intellectually and developmentally disabled people for years. Recently, Meier was informed that the system that is supposed to protect these people was failing a local resident.

"This individual should never have been in jail - it's that simple," said State Representative Charlie Meier. "DHS' mismanagement is well-known. Audits show that they are consistently late on reporting requirements, have cases of neglect and abuse in their facilities, and some are even non-compliant with federal and state regulation. We have to remember that these are vulnerable humans under the care of the State of Illinois who are neglected and abused because of their mismanagement."

Read the full story here

FREE Senior Fair Coming Up!

State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) is hosting a free Senior Fair in Highland. Representative Meier's Senior Fair is an opportunity for local and state agencies to inform senior citizens of the benefits that are available to them. A local health agency will also be providing the flu vaccine at the fair.

"I encourage senior citizens and their families to attend my free Senior Fair. This fair has such a great lineup of vendors. It's a unique opportunity to have so many organizations who offer support to seniors in one place," said Rep. Meier.

The event details are as follows:

Highland VFW
Tuesday, October 7
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1900 VFW Road
Highland, IL 62249

More information and a list of vendors is available here.

Around the District

Hundreds came out to my Tire Recycling event in Troy and we enlisted the help of the Edwardsville and Highland FFA to load the tires and direct traffic

We partnered with the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce for the successful tire and electronic recycling and shred day

I'm always happy to be on hand to help out with the Washington County 4-H Pork Chop Dinner.

We had a great turnout at my Blood Drive in Troy.

I stopped at the Roland Barkau Memorial Golf Course for the 30th Annual Pete Korte Memorial Golf Benefit for Camp Ondessonk. I was happy to support this event with Pete in mind.

I was asked to be a judge at the Pet Parade at the Nashville Fall Fest last weekend. What a fun event to be involved in!

I was honored to be on hand for the ribbon cutting at Nik's Resale in Nashville.

One of my favorite events of the year was last Saturday in Breese, the Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk was established by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in 1995 to raise awareness and support programs for those with Down syndrome. Community Link proudly runs this event. This year they raised over 165,000.00.

As a member of the Legislative Sportsman's Caucus, I was happy to donate to the Mulberry Grove Ace's Trap team.

I had a wonderful evening at the Greenville Chamber's Business After Hours hosted by Scooter's Coffee.

I attended the celebration for Twelve Oaks Vineyard winning the Governor's Cup for their 2024 Chambourcin Rose.

Always great to stop by the Yellow Dog in Worden!

I met with the leaders at HSHS St. Joseph's in Highland.

Down on the Farm

Harvest Season is in full swing! Stay safe and I hope you all have a wonderful harvest, I'm lucky to have this great helper.